Japan is a country that has produced some great boxers over the years. These fighters have represented their nation on the global stage and have made a significant impact on the sport. In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at some of the best boxers to come out of Japan and examine what makes them special.
Naoya Inoue
Naoya Inoue is one of the most exciting boxers in the world today. He is a three-weight world champion and a two-time Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year. Inoue is known for his power and speed, and he has won 21 of his 24 fights by knockout.
Inoue first gained attention when he won the WBC light-flyweight title in just his sixth fight. He later moved up to bantamweight and won the WBO title, defeating Omar Narvaez in just two rounds. In 2018, Inoue won the WBA bantamweight title and the World Boxing Super Series, defeating Ryan Burnett and Emmanuel Rodriguez in the process.
Inoue's next fight is set to be against American boxer Stephen Fulton, who also holds the WBC and WBO super bantamweight titles. This will be the biggest test for either man and a huge step forward for boxing. It's rare for two undefeated greats to fight while in their primes.
Shinsuke Yamanaka
Shinsuke Yamanaka is a former WBC bantamweight champion who held the title from 2011 to 2017. He defended his title 12 times before losing it to Luis Nery in 2017. Yamanaka is known for his excellent boxing skills and his ability to control the pace of a fight.
Yamanaka turned professional in 2006 and quickly made a name for himself in Japan by winning the Japanese bantamweight title in just his sixth fight. He later won the OPBF bantamweight title and the WBC silver bantamweight title before challenging for the world title.
Yamanaka's reign as bantamweight champion was impressive, and he defeated some top boxers during his time as champion, including Vic Darchinyan, Anselmo Moreno, and Diego De La Hoya.
Kazuto Ioka
Kazuto Ioka is a former four-weight world champion who held titles at minimumweight, light-flyweight, flyweight, and super-flyweight. Ioka turned professional in 2009 and quickly made a name for himself in Japan by winning the Japanese minimumweight title in just his fourth fight.
Ioka won his first world title in 2011 when he defeated Oleydong Sithsamerchai to win the WBC minimumweight title. He later moved up in weight and won titles at light-flyweight and flyweight.
Ioka's most significant win came in 2018 when he defeated Donnie Nietes to win the WBO super-flyweight title. The fight was considered a significant upset, and it was one of the most significant wins of Ioka's career.
Yoko Gushiken
Yoko Gushiken is a former WBA light-flyweight champion who held the title from 1981 to 1985. He is one of the most successful boxers to come out of Japan and has an impressive record of 23 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw.
Gushiken turned professional in 1974 and won the Japanese light-flyweight title in just his sixth fight. He later won the OPBF light-flyweight title and became the WBA champion in 1981.
Gushiken was a master of the counterpunch and was known for his excellent footwork and defensive skills. He defended his title 13 times before losing it to Pedro Flores in 1985.
Koki Kameda
Koki Kameda is a former WBA flyweight and super-flyweight champion. He turned professional in 2004 and won the WBC Youth world title in just his fourth fight. Kameda later won the Japanese bantamweight title and the WBC light-flyweight title.
Kameda's most significant win came in 2013 when he defeated WBA flyweight champion Hernán Márquez to win the title. Kameda defended his title once before moving up to super-flyweight and winning the WBA title in that weight class.
Kameda was known for his aggressive style and his punching power. He won 33 of his 40 fights, with 18 of those wins coming by knockout.
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